What is the ASCF deadline?

April 24, 2026 is the acreage reporting deadline — a prerequisite for receiving payment. Payment rates have not yet been published; FSA is expected to post them shortly after the April 24 deadline, and the application window will open at that point. Watch the FSA site for the rate announcement.

What crops qualify for ASCF?

More than 100 specialty crops are eligible, including tree fruits and nuts, small fruits and berries, vegetables, herbs, floriculture and nursery stock, mushrooms, coffee, cacao, maple syrup, hops, and sugar (beets and cane). Dry edible beans and peas are excluded from ASCF because they are covered by FBA instead.

Do I need to have crop insurance to qualify for ASCF?

No. ASCF does not require crop insurance or NAP. Producers who grew an eligible specialty crop in 2025 and have that acreage reported on FSA-578 are eligible, subject to AGI and payment limit rules (expected to mirror FBA's $900K AGI cap and $155K payment cap, though ASCF-specific limits will be confirmed when payment rates are published).

ASCF: Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers

Acreage reporting deadline: April 24, 2026

ASCF is a $1 billion one-time bridge program for specialty crops, sugar, and other commodities not covered by FBA. The April 24 date is the acreage reporting deadline — a prerequisite to receiving payment. Payment rates have not yet been published; FSA will open the application window after rates post.

If you grew an eligible specialty crop in 2025, visit your local FSA county office by April 24 to file or correct your 2025 acreage report.

Last Updated: April 2026 | Source: USDA-FSA press releases, CALT Iowa State
This is a free guide, not financial or legal advice. Always verify with your local USDA office. Report an error

The Short Version

ASCF is the specialty-crop companion to FBA. It’s a one-time $1 billion program authorized by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, designed to help specialty crop producers who were excluded from FBA’s row-crop list. The eligible crop list is long — more than 100 crops from almonds through watermelons, plus sugar — and also covers nursery stock, floriculture, herbs, mushrooms, coffee, and cacao.

ASCF has two steps. Step 1 (now): file or correct your 2025 FSA-578 acreage report for eligible crops by April 24, 2026. Step 2 (after rates post): apply for payment. Per-crop rates are expected to be published shortly after the acreage deadline.

Quick Facts

Item	Details
Who runs it	USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Authorizing law	One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), 2025
Appropriation	$1 billion
Covered crop year	2025 planted acres only
Acreage reporting deadline	April 24, 2026 (reopened from original March 13 deadline)
Payment rates	Not yet published; expected after April 24
Application deadline	Announced after rates post; watch the FSA site
Payment caps & AGI limits	Not yet specified; likely to mirror FBA ($155K cap, $900K AGI) — verify when rates post
Crop insurance required?	No

Eligible Crops

More than 100 specialty crops are eligible. The list is broad and includes:

Tree fruits & nuts: almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, cherries, citrus (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit), hazelnuts, macadamia, olives, peaches, pears, pecans, pistachios, plums, pomegranates, walnuts, and others
Small fruits & berries: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, grapes (table, wine, raisin), kiwifruit, melons, raspberries, strawberries, watermelons
Vegetables: asparagus, beans (snap, green), beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, lettuce, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, spinach, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and many more
Herbs and spices: basil, cilantro, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and similar
Floriculture & nursery: cut flowers, potted plants, woody ornamentals, sod, Christmas trees
Other: mushrooms, coffee, cacao, maple syrup, honey (apiary), hops
Sugar (sugar beets, sugar cane) — included in ASCF, not FBA

Notably excluded from ASCF: dry edible beans and peas (those are covered by FBA instead), plus the row crops FBA covers (corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, sorghum, barley, oats, peanuts, and others).

Step 1: File Accurate 2025 Acreage by April 24

The April 24 deadline is about the FSA-578 acreage report — FSA’s record of what you planted and where. Without accurate 2025 acreage on file, there’s no basis for FSA to calculate your payment when rates come out.

How to File

Contact your local FSA office. Find your county office at farmers.gov/service-center-locator.
Bring or email: maps of your 2025 plantings, field-level acreage, planting dates, and crop varieties (variety matters for some specialty crops, e.g. wine grapes vs table grapes).
File form FSA-578 if you haven’t yet. If your 578 is filed but incomplete, correct it now.
Confirm with FSA that your acreage is eligible for ASCF. The staff will check the crop code against the ASCF-eligible list.

This is a county-office task — there is no online acreage reporting shortcut. Call to make an appointment if your county is busy.

Step 2: Apply for Payment (After Rates Post)

USDA originally said ASCF payment rates would be published by end of March 2026; the reopening of acreage reporting through April 24 pushed that back. When rates are announced, FSA will open the application portal, likely at fsa.usda.gov via Login.gov, with the same form pattern as FBA.

Watch the FSA SPECIALTY CROP PAYMENTS page and your local FSA office for the announcement. Pre-filled applications may be mailed to producers with 2025 acreage on file.

Who Qualifies

You planted an eligible specialty crop, sugar, or other non-FBA commodity during the 2025 crop year.
Your acreage is on file at FSA via 2025 FSA-578.
AGI/payment limit rules expected to mirror FBA ($900K AGI cap, $155K payment cap per person or entity) — confirmed when rates post.
HELC/WC compliance (AD-1026) on file.

Like FBA, crop insurance and NAP are not prerequisites. Producers who grew specialty crops without any insurance are still eligible.

Interaction with Other Programs

FBA: ASCF is specifically for crops FBA does not cover. A producer with both row crops and specialty crops can receive FBA for the row crops and ASCF for the specialty crops.
WFRP (Whole-Farm Revenue Protection): no conflict known; ASCF does not appear to reduce WFRP indemnities.
NAP: no conflict known; specialty crops under NAP can still receive ASCF.
SDRP (2023–2024 disaster): different program, different years. Specialty crops damaged by 2023 or 2024 disasters may also be SDRP-eligible.

What to Do

If you grew a covered specialty crop in 2025: call your FSA county office this week. Get your 2025 acreage reported or corrected before April 24. That’s the prerequisite for receiving payment.

If your acreage is already on file: confirm with FSA that your crop code matches the ASCF-eligible list. Watch for rate announcements after April 24.

If you’re not sure whether your crop qualifies: ask FSA directly. The eligible list is long; crop-code specifics matter more than common names.

ASCF is a smaller, more specialized cousin of FBA. For specialty crop producers, it’s real money on 2025 acres — but it requires you to act on the acreage reporting step this week, even before payment rates are public.

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